Marching Band Apocalypse
by Symphiro
Summary: Kill la Kill fanfic centering around Nonon Jakuzure. Takes place post-series. My first fanfic, and probably a long-ish one. Reviews and criticisms are, of course, welcome and invited.
1. Chapter 1

Nonon Jakuzure sat alone in the band room after the school orchestra's practice. As she sat, she reflected on the past 10 months since the defeat of Ragyo and the COVERs. Admittedly, she had found adjusting to a 'normal' student life as a bit strange, after all she had been striving for Satsuki's ambition for so long. Nonetheless, she had done quite well for herself, just as she always has. She was the non-athletic seat in the student council of the re-organized Honnouji Academy, along with the other Elite Four in their respective spots, and Satsuki in her rightful place as Student Council President. Granted, none of them held the power that they once had, but they still accomplished the height of achievement. She loved being the president of the music club, loved conducting the school band. Still, the fact was that Nonon got kind of bored of this life-style at times. Like now, for example.

She got up, it was about time she headed home. However, she decided to stop by student council room to see what the others were doing first. The room was empty except a single figure typing away in front of a computer. A smirk grew on Nonon's face, as she approached the council's resident tech-geek, Hoka Inumuta. Throwing a few verbal barbs at him should provide her with some amusement. It was one of her favorite pastimes.

"Jeez, spending all day typing away at your computer", Nonon smiled smugly as she spoke. "What a pathetically dull life you have, huh Doggie."

"Aren't you referring to your own life?", Inumuta responded coolly, "after all, you're the one with enough idle time to sit around and watch someone typing on their computer."

Nonon growled. "Shut up, you stupid dog, or I'll smash your damn spectacles!"

"Already out of comebacks and resorting to threats", Inumuta turned to her, amusement clear on his face. "I think you're losing your edge, Jakuzure."

"Screw you", Nonon leaned back against a wall, displeased that she currently couldn't think of a better response. "So, what are you doing, anyway?", she asked for the sake of asking.

"Setting up security to prevent idiotic punks from hacking into Honnouji Academy's mainframe", Inumuta said, as he turned back to his computer.

"Heh. You were one of those idiotic punks before Satsuki-chan found you", Nonon remarked snidely. Inumuta didn't respond, simply tapping away at the keyboard.

"Tell me, do you sometimes miss the old days?", she felt odd calling them the 'old days' since it was less than a year ago, but somehow the term felt appropriate. "Wielding so much power, battling with our Goku Uniforms. Seems like such a long time ago."

"Of course", Inumuta answered flatly, not even bothering to turn away from the computer. "But, this is the world we live in now. And it's not as if this way of life is terrible."

Nonon could agree with that last statement. Life wasn't bad at all, quite the contrary actually. She had her music, her friends in the student council, and she was beloved by the student body, which was something she loved to abuse. Still, life lacked the hectic excitement it had before.

"Hm. I guess I'll head home now", Nonon said as she headed toward the door, "be sure not to work yourself to death, Doggie." Inumuta acknowledged her departure with a simple hand gesture, then continued typing. Nonon was slightly disappointed that he didn't even try to convince her to stay a little longer.

As Nonon walked home, she looked up at the blue, slightly cloudy sky. As she did, she recalled the sensation of flying through the air with her Symphony Regalia. Few things as exhilarating as soaring in the sky at breakneck speeds; it gave her a rush that nothing else could match, safe a musical performance. Nonon lamented that it was something she may never experience again. It have would make the commute back home more exciting, too.

Nobody else was at the Jakuzure estate when Nonon arrived. Well, no one except the various servants that staffed the estate, but Nonon paid no mind to them. She walked down the lavish halls quickly, going directly to her a bedroom fit for a princess. She slumped into her excessively large bed; the mattress taking up much more space than someone of her stature would require. Still, the bed took up only a fraction of the room, which housed a wide assortment of instruments; all of which Nonon mastered and played on a regular basis.

Nonon didn't particularly feel like doing anything at the moment, simply staring at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she got up, deciding to see what was for dinner. Just before she was about to leave the room, something caught her eye. The band hat that was the only remaining part of her Goku Uniform. She hadn't worn in a long time, not since Ragyo's defeat in fact. She figured she'd try it on for old-times sake, dinner could wait. Not like it would do any harm, as the threat was already eliminated.

She neatly fixed the hat onto her head, and examined herself in a full-body length mirror. As expected, she looked great with it on, grinning with self-satisfaction. It brought back nostalgic feelings, and Nonon felt her melancholy fading.

"Well, that enough fooling around", she stated cheerily, before moving to take the hat off. She pulled at it gently, but to her surprise the hat did not come off. "What the hell?" She pulled a lot harder, yet the hat clung to her head. "Why won't this damn thing come off?!"

"Don't you want to fly again?" a voice whispered into Nonon's ear.

"Who the hell was that?!" Nonon screamed, before looking back at the mirror. What she saw horrified her. Her reflection revealed fiber strands slithering out of her hat, wrapping around her, and weaving themselves into her clothing. "SHIT!"

Some malicious Life-Fibers must have somehow survived and nested in her hat. "Don't resist us. We'll restore you to your former glory. We'll give you back the power you lost." Nonon continued to struggle. "Your compliance is not necessary. We'll have our way, whether you are willing or not."

Nonon felt her control over her own body slipping, and desires to reclaim her former power cloud her mind. Resisting all she could, Nonon felt herself straining, and eventually she succumbed to the Life-Fibers' control.

"Now then, will you carry out our mission? Our vengeance?'

"Yes."

"Good. We have a lot of work to do."


	2. Chapter 2

Nonon Jakuzure arrived at school with a wide smile on her face, and wicked schemes brewing in her head. The Life-Fibers in her hat were set on bringing forth the apocalypse they had failed to accomplish before, and ensure their species flourish into the furthest reaches of existence. The fact that they basically had to start from scratch meant that they had to be sneaky and resourceful; their host was perfect for their purposes.

"First thing's first, we must assemble an army", the Life-Fibers said in a voice only Nonon could here. That should be a simple enough task. Despite no longer being militarized, Honnouji Academy was a sprawling, near metropolis-like school just rife with potential recruits. Nonon was a high profile figure in the academy, rivaling the student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin and scrapper Ryuko Matoi in notoriety, and surpassing all her other cohorts on the council (sans Satsuki, of course) in popularity. On top of that, she already had a strong foundation to build on, with the music club and all the other non-athletic clubs at her disposal.

"But how to recruit them without them knowing what's really going on", she pondered to herself. An idea formed as she saw a band member passing. "Saya", she called out.

"Yes… Jakuzure-sempai", Saya replied, becoming both excited and flustered when she realized who was addressing her. The girl was just a starter in the band, hardly on Nonon's radar, but one of her hobbies was making clothing, she was quite good at working with fabric. Nonon was more than happy to exploit this skill.

"You make your own outfits in your free-time, right", Nonon inquired in her sweetest voice. "Well, I was thinking of making new uniforms for the band myself, to promote band unity and all that. I figured I could use your help with them."

"For the whole band? I don't know if we could handle that by ourselves…" Saya replied sounding unsure.

"Oh, I'm sure we can. You should stop by my place after school", Nonon said cheerfully, and left it at that. She turned, hiding a scheming grin from the awe-stricken girl.

"Humans are such foolish things" the Life-Fibers mused, as Nonon giggled devilishly.

Later in the day Nonon saw Ryuko Matoi come out of a classroom of a classroom down the hallway heading her direction, presumably to go downstairs. A mean-spirited, if petty, prank popped into her head.

She attached a nearly transparent life-fiber to the wall of the stairs and stood at the other side of the stairway, holding the life-fibers other end. Ryuko gave Nonon a questioning glance as she passed, unaware of why her adversary turned vaguely hostile friend was standing there. Just as she started down the stairs, Nonon yanked up the strand of life-fiber, causing Ryuko to trip and plunge headlong down the long flight of stairs. She tumbled down the stairs violently and came to a hard stop. She recovered just in time to hear Nonon's laughter and a quip about watching her step.

"Dammit, I'm gonna kill you, bitch!" Ryuko yelled before running up the stairs. When she was more than half-way up, another figure appeared at the top of the stairs surrounded by a nearly blinding light.

"Matoi, why are you causing such a ruckus", Satsuki said with utmost authority in her voice.

"That bitch Jakuzure thought it'd be funny to trip me down the stairs!" Ryuko growled angrily, before loosening her tone. "And jeez, sis. Can you drop the formality? You could call me by my given name, at least."

"Not when you're causing a disruption", Satsuki said sternly, her demeanor not easing at all.

"Oh, come on! Like your student council is any better", Ryuko said, irked by her sister's stoicism. "Jakuzure just tripped me, and that damn monkey Sanageyama keeps challenging me to fights. Not that he could beat me."

"Sanageyama sets his eyes on the most impossible goals, so he can meet them and attain the highest achievements. You should do the same."

"Ugh, whatever" Ryuko grunted as she reached the top of the stairs, and walked past Satsuki. It was impossible to get through to her older sister when she was in full-blown student council president mode.

She walked down the hall just to come across another student council elite scolding her best friend.

"Mankanshoku, how many times have I told you not to cause a commotion in the hallways!" Gamagori said in his intimidating gruff voice.

"Ah, sorry sempai you see I just unpacked the lunch that my mom gave me and I got so excited because it was my favorite, actually one of my many favorites, and I just had to celebrate out loud because I was so excited and it's good to express your gratitude for all the things your grateful for because", Mako continued her blazing-fast, long-winded explanation for at least another minute until Gamagori stopped her. She didn't even pause for a moment to catch her breath.

"Enough, just try not to do it again" Gamagori interrupted her. "Now, get to your next class."

"But Gamagori-sempai, my class isn't for another- "Mako stopped when she saw the hardened look on the giant's face. "Yes, sir. Right away." Then she sped off without even noticing Ryuko's presence.

"Jeez, Gamagori. When are you gonna stop scaring the girl and just tell her you like her" Ryuko said as she approached.

"That's not why-" Gamagori stopped mid-statement, obviously feeling bashful. Ryuko couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of someone his size looking like a nervous schoolboy with a crush. "I'm the head of the disciplinary committee, and she just keeps causing trouble."

"Sounds like a convenient excuse to me", Ryuko smirked. "Either way, I should go get her before she causes trouble for someone else." With that Ryuko took off after her hyperactive friend.

"Why did you do that?", the Life-Fibers questioned Nonon about her little prank. "It was needless."

"I couldn't pass-up such a golden opportunity" Nonon said with a mischievous grin. "The idiot didn't even see it coming."

"No, it was foolishness that could have compromised everything."

"Oh, lighten up-" Nonon's eyes widened suddenly, as if she was in a trance.

"That is the problem with this method of mind-control", the Life-Fibers muttered to no one. It was a peculiar method that allowed their host to act as she usually would, but with mental parameters set by them. The needed to do things this way as to avoid suspicion, they couldn't have their host going around blank-faced like an automaton. The problems arose with unexpected actions like her prank on the Matoi girl. Her programing needed some adjustments.

"Now, let's get through the day without any more incidents."

"Yes", Nonon said blankly, before resuming her usual impish demeanor.

The rest of the day did go without incident. After the day's band practice, Nonon went directly home and prepared a 'present' for her special guest who would be arriving soon enough.

Time passed, until finally there was a knock on her door. "Miss Nonon, there is a Miss Saya here to see you."

"Ah, let her in", Nonon said with anticipation.

"Um… hi", Saya greeted Nonon, though her eyes were zooming all over the place. Clearly, she was taken by the extravagance of Nonon's home.

"Oh, here. I've already made a uniform for you. Why don't you try it on?" Nonon said with a bit of amusement towards the other girl's awe.

"Ah, sure." Saya stopped looking around to try on the uniform Nonon prepared.

Once she had it on, it was clear that it was a few sizes too big. The only thing that fit was the hat. "Ah, I think you misjudged how big I am, sempai" Saya said, obviously trying to not come across as rude.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It should fix itself soon", Said a smirking Nonon.

"Huh?" As soon as Saya said that, the uniform shrank and so it fit her, and her eyes went blank for a second.

"Okay, now go on and make a uniform would you." Nonon said nonchalantly.

Saya got the necessary tools and equipment, which Nonon laid out before her, and began to work. Her arms moved at an inhuman speed, and she had finished a complete uniform in a matter of minutes. She then moved on to making the next one.

Nonon watched with satisfaction, things would move along nicely now.


	3. Chapter 3

Honnouji Academy's student council elite congregated for an early morning meeting concerning the academy's current state of affairs. Satsuki announced the meeting earlier in the week, so they would all know ahead of time. Yet, here they were waiting for a certain pink-haired imp to show up.

"She's already delayed us by 15 minutes because of her absence!" Ira Gamagori's voice boomed disapprovingly.

"Ha, and she calls me an irresponsible degenerate", Uzu Sanageyama commented callously, as he swung his bokken to pass the time.

Houka Inumuta wordlessly typed in front of his computer. The president, Satsuki Kiryuin, sat at her desk with equal silence. Her reserved demeanor concealed her inner irritation at her childhood friend's tardiness, and the concern that came with it. Nonon was mischievous and unpredictable, certainly, but she never failed to rush to Satsuki's side whenever she was called upon. Had something happened to the missing council member?

Just then, the person in question walked with an expression of smug satisfaction on her face.

Inumuta turned at the sound of her entrance and, remarkably, was the first to respond. "Well, that's quite a look for someone who has inconvenienced the rest of us", Inumuta said, referring to Nonon's grin.

"We are behind schedule because of you." Gamagori said, stone-faced.

"Yeah, you trouble-making snake", Sanageyama added, his practice swings uninterrupted.

"Well, if it isn't the yapping dog, croaking toad, and chattering monkey. You three never stop complaining, do you?" Nonon taunted.

"They are correct, though", Satsuki said in a voice that demanded the others' attention. "We don't have the time to address your tardiness, but I expect it not happen again. Now, let's get to you individual reports. Gamagori, you're first."

"The disciplinary committee has been hard at work to maintain order. Since our last meeting, the occurrence of incidents of unruliness has decreased by another 10%. Our main concern now are Ryuko Matoi's fights… and Mako Mankanshoku's general behavior." Gamagori stumbled a bit on the finishing statement.

Both Nonon and Sanageyama snickered at Gamagori's hesitation at the last statement. Less audible, but still noticeable, was Inumuta's amused scoff. Gamagori gave the three of them a death glare, which none of them took seriously.

"Sanageyama, your report", Satsuki commanded.

"Yeah, all the athletic clubs have been preforming to the top of their ability. The football team has won their past four games, and are continuing to stay strong. The Kendo club has just swept a tournament." Sanageyama said this with great pride and satisfaction.

"Inumuta", Satsuki continued down the line.

"All information on the students and faculty of Honnouji Academy is secure and free of tampering. Extensive security has been applied to sensitive and classified information. Any and all attempts of hacking into the Honnouji database have been dealt with and resolved without any information being compromised", Inumuta said quickly and efficiently.

Finally, Satsuki turned to the tardy council member, "Nonon."

"I've just issued new uniforms for band and orchestra members, of my own design, I should add", Nonon said, barely able to restrain her glee. "I'm also planning a major concert event for the student body to attend. I'm planning on using the grand auditorium for it. Of course, I'd like all the student council members to attend, especially the key members."

Satsuki nodded, pleased at all the reports. She had wanted to discuss other matters, but due to Nonon tardiness the meeting had already went past its designated dismissal time. She decided to dismiss them to their own business, and discuss the matters at a later time.

Inumuta walked out of the meeting beside Nonon, and stuck by her side, even as Gamagori and Sanageyama left to group to go their separate ways.

"Tell me, what has been going on with you for the past few days", Inumuta said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Nonon replied, taken unexpectedly.

"Something's been off about you", Inumuta said bluntly. "You barge in on my work and act mopey a few days ago. Then you don't show up to pester me yesterday, breaking your usual daily ritual; that did spare me some grief, though. Now you show up late for a meeting Satsuki informed us of at the beginning of the week…"

Something deep down within Nonon wanted to tell Inumuta what had happened to her, tell him that she needed help. However, those feelings were caged away, and buried beneath the Life-Fibers' manipulation. "You shouldn't be sticking your snout where it doesn't belong, mongrel", Nonon spat venom at her fellow council member, instead.

"Fine. It was needless to try to concern myself with your affairs anyway", Inumuta said. Contrarily, he made a mental note to keep tabs on her. It was odd, she wasn't acting very far out of character, but these few peculiarities bothered him.

"That's right. Now, don't you have a computer to play around with or something", Nonon said unpleasantly. "What are you waiting for? Go fetch it wherever it is, and get out of my sight, dog."

Inumuta didn't oblige her, instead deciding to continue alongside her in spite of his feigned indifference. Nonon quickened her pace and moved in intentionally obtuse zigzags down the halls, until finally losing him in a crowd. Her petite stature allowed her to move pass people much more quickly and efficiently than Inumuta could manage. The Life-Fibers were growing anxious; clearly Inumuta suspected something, and if one had suspicions, others would follow soon. They had to set their plans in motion as soon as possible.

The academy's principal was meeting with the board of trustees today. This would be a perfect time to secure the grand auditorium for her uses. Barging in on the meeting might get her a scolding, but little more than a slap on the wrist. Besides, the academy would be under her control after her special concert, anyway.

She knocked on the door of the room in which the meeting was being held, then opened it without waiting for a response. "Um, hello, Principal Mikisugi and trustees, sorry to interrupt. I'm Nonon Jakuzure, the president of the music club, and I'd like to ask you for permission on something", the snake feigned modesty as she spoke.

A few mumbles went around the table before Aikuro Mikisugi cleared his throat and spoke. "Ah, Jakuzure, we're currently in the middle of a meeting, can this wait?" he said with formality. Strangely enough, he was wearing a sharp and very business-like suit, and it looked like he wasn't about to strip any of it off. He had been acting more professionally since being appointed the academy's principal, just another sign of how things had changed.

"Oh, I actually wanted to get the trustees approval on this as well", she said. "See, I want to hold a big concert event at the grand auditorium. We've been practicing so hard, and we want to let everyone in the academy hear what we've been working on. I think it'll also get the student body to be more eager about attending the academy, and raise student moral. I'd like to do it sometime this week or next." She said this so sweetly and sincerely that she imagined that if she were one of the trustees listening, she'd be completely sold on the idea.

This was confirmed by the sudden spike of conversation between the trustees after her little spiel. Mikisugi thought for a moment before responding, "Yes, that sounds like a very good idea, Jakuzure. We'll consider it and inform you our decision on the matter later."

"Thank you", Nonon said before leaving the room. A sinister smile grew on her face; reading the trustees' reaction, she could tell that they would grant her request.

During her final class of the day, Nonon received a note granting her use of the grand auditorium next week. She skipped as she left class, going straight to the band room. Waiting within were all the band and orchestra members, wearing the uniforms she and Saya made. Her plans were coming together perfectly, she just needed to finish her preparations and wait for next week to com. Then the whole world would be turned on its head.


	4. Chapter 4

The week had passed by quickly. Nonon had spent most of her time running scenarios through her head on how this evening would play out, not wanting there to be any missteps. She made sure to attend all student council meetings on time, as to not draw any suspicion towards her. She kept tight reins on her band members, she didn't want them to accidently give do something that might compromise her plans. This task was made easier by telepathic ties with all the band members that the life-fibers granted her, which gave her some control over their actions.

However, there was one persistent thorn in her side: Inumuta. He kept shadowing whenever he could, usually watching her during and after council meetings. It didn't seem that he shared his suspicions of her with any of their cohorts, but they had seemed to pick up there was something going on between the two. Sanageyama was the one who questioned it most verbally, but Nonon was sure both Satsuki and Gamagori were at least somewhat curious as well. She managed to keep her true intentions for the concert secret, but that didn't mean it wasn't an unnecessary irritation.

Nonetheless, it was the morning of the concert, and Nonon felt the anticipation in the air. Anticipation of students around her, her own, and the life-fibers that commanding her. Many student came up to her and said that they were looking forward to seeing the performance. She smiled and thanked them, while laughing at the unsuspecting fools inside.

"Hey, pink-head", said the voice of a certain short haired miscreant… well, a miscreant in Nonon's eyes. She turned to face the source of the voice, one Ryuko Matoi. "Everyone's talking about your big concert, don't go messin' up tonight. If I enjoy it, I might just drop the whole stairs incident", Ryuko said before walking off.

Nonon sneered at the girl's back as she walked away. Ryuko was her biggest threat, as she had life-fibers infused with her very being. There was no doubt that the defiant problem-child would interfere with tonight's events. Still, Nonon was sure she could handle it, especially since Ryuko no longer had her precious Senketsu.

"The time of retribution will soon be on those who dared defy us, and our seeds shall spread to every corner of the universe", the Life-Fibers in Nonon's hat spoke with an uncontainable eagerness. "Just a few more ours until our plans are set into motion."

Nonon walked to class for what she imagined would be the last time.

*Evening*

Students flooded into the grand auditorium. The entire place was filled with conversations about the upcoming performance and other miscellaneous topics. There was an air of excitement as more students and faculty poured into the auditorium and found seats.

Backstage, Nonon looked at her well organized band, all ready for the chaos that was about to ensue. She heard footsteps coming from the hallway which lead back stage, and turned to see Satsuki, Gamagori, Sanageyama, and Inumuta walking toward her.

"Nonon, you've done a commendable job setting this event up in such a small amount of time. Of course I would expect nothing less", Satsuki said, proud of her friend's accomplishment.

"Yes, we are all impressed by your efforts", added Gamagori.

"After all the hub-bub, you better put on a great performance for us", said Sanageyama with a bit of friendly antagonism.

Nonon looked at Inumuta, who remained silent. The zipper of his collar was fully zipped.

"Well, we should head up to the student council booth, Ryuko's probably waiting for us so she can sit there as well", Satsuki said as she turned and started in the other direction. Gamagori and Sanageyama followed.

"Ah, good. I'll challenge her after the concert, before she has time to run away", Sanageyama said before looking back. "Hey, dog, aren't you coming with us?"

"Head up without me. I will join you shortly", said Inumuta said as he unzipped his collar.

"Whatever", Sanageyama said, figuring that the two were going to work out the odd tension between them.

Nonon and Inumuta stood in scilence as they stared each other down. The tense quiet was broken when Inumuta finally spoke.

"I don't know what has been going on with you for the past week", he started. Nonon considered taking him out now, before starting the concert. "But, good luck. Give us one helluva show."

He turned to leave, when something surged from deep within Nonon; something the Life-Fibers were unable to suppress. "You should stop me, Doggie", the words escaped Nonon's lips.

Inumuta turned back. "What was that?", he inquired apprehensively.

The Life-Fibers forced their way back into control. "Nothing. Enjoy the show", Nonon said, a false sweetness in her voice.

Inumuta raised his eyebrow quizzically, but turned to leave afterward.

Nonon then lead the rest of the band to the stage. She felt a rush as the crowd cheered. She took her place at the conductor podium, and the band got into position. The audience gradually quieted down, and the concert began.

…

The band had finished playing their third song when the Life-Fibers spoke to Nonon. "Now, begin during this next song", they told her. Nonon nodded in response.

The band played through the first third of the song when Nonon turned to the audience. Her uniform turned black with a skeletal design on it.

The audience reacted in a mixed confusion. Many cheered at the remarkable wardrobe change, while others looked on in awe. However, it had set off a red alarm for Ryuko and the student council, as well as did Mikisugi who was watching with the other faculty.

"It can't be", Ryuko said as she looked on in disbelief, "It just can't…"

Nonon levitated off the ground, and butterfly-like wings sprouted from her back. The wings shined with every color on the spectrum, and had markings which resembled speakers. "Symphony Regalia TheEnd!" she yelled, and a deafening screech filled the auditorium.

**Note**: Yes, TheEnd is a blatant and direct reference to the mecha piloted by Anemone in Erueka 7… another pink-haired psycho chick. Don't look at me that way, Kill la Kill made these kinds of references all the time.


	5. Chapter 5

A loud screech pieced through the air, forcing everyone except Nonon and her band to cover their ears. Even with the screech, the sound of the band playing could be heard. As they played, a swarm of life-fiber band uniforms flew out of the backstage area and began to latch onto members of the stunned audience, turning them into unwitting recruits of Nonon's band. Panic broke out and the audience turned into a screaming hysterical mob, desperate to exit the auditorium. Nonon watched from above with a wicked smirk on her face, as she continued to conduct the band.

"Shit, the whole place is going crazy", Ryuko yelled.

"What the hell is she doing?!" Sanageyama yelled as well. "Was that damn snake planning this the entire time?!"

Satsuki had quickly collected herself after the initial shock of Nonon's actions. "Now is not the time, we need to get this situation under control. It is the student council's duty to maintain order!"

"And how the hell are you going to do that?" Ryuko barked at her.

"Don't worry, Honnouji Academy has precautions for situations like this", said Mikisugi, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. His suit jacket and tie were now disposed, his shirt completely unbuttoned and his pants unzipped; slowly sliding down to become dangerously close to revealing his inappropriate places.

"What the Hell!?" Ryuko yelled at him. "Dammit, you're the principal of the academy! Put your damn clothes back on!"

Paying no mind to Ryuko's chastising yells, Mikisugi produced a metal box with a button which he pressed. Almost instantly afterward, a small squadron of unmanned bipedal robots burst through the auditorium walls.

"Aren't those the robots that Nudist Beach used?", inquired Ryuko, "what were they called again? Dotonbori Ro-"

"DTRs. They are called DTRs" said Mikisugi, displeased that Ryuko was about to call them by their proper name.

"Why the hell did you even have these at the academy… in case of an emergency?", Ryuko though for a second before her temper flared up. "Hold on. Until now, it seemed like I was the only one it the academy with life-fibers… Did you expect me to go berserk for no reason or something?!"

"It was Tsugumu's suggestion", Mikisugi said flatly.

"That stupid Mohawk! I'm gonna kick his ass-" Ryuko was interrupted by another wave of screaming students attempting to flee the auditorium.

There was much more students wearing the band uniform than there was at the beginning of the performance. Many grabbed onto other students and forced the uniforms onto them. Neither Ryuko or Mikisugi or the student council members knew the exact circumstances behind the disaster unfolding before them, or why Nonon transpired it. However, they did recognize their enemies as life-fibers, and knew this chaos had to be brought to an end.

Each of the student council elite jumped into a DTR. Gamagori barely managed to fit into one. Inumuta wired his computer to the machine in order to use it as his control board, rather than using the built in controls. Sanageyama predictably picked one of the DTRs that used a bladed weapon rather than firearms.

As he readied himself for battle, he heard Ryuko yell for him. "Hey, Monkey. Give me your wooden sword. I'm going to use it to teach the little band girl to behave herself." He tossed the bokken to her, "better take care of it while it's in your possession"' he yelled back.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever", she responded callously, before charging recklessly towards the stage. She had learned to control the life-fibers in her body during her previous battles, and while she didn't have a serious fight in a long time, she still understood how to utilize them. As a result, she could run at blazing speeds and summon inhuman strength, even without any life-fiber enhanced clothing. With a few swift swings, she was able to send any band members who tried to attack her flying.

She could vaguely hear the sound of Satsuki and the others fighting behind her, but she was focused on what was ahead of her. She looked at Nonon, who floated above, looking down on the chaos with amusement. 'Time to knock that bitch off her throne' Ryuko thought to herself. She then sprang up into the air, using the life-fibers in her to jump higher than any normal person could, and raised her bokken ready to strike.

Nonon saw her coming, and evaded her attack with ease. Ryuko hit the ground with such force that she broke a hole in the stage where she landed. Still, she landed on both of her feet unfazed, and shot a glare up at Nonon. "Hey, queen bitch! I know you have some personality defects, but I never expected you to do something like this. Why are you teaming up with these life-fibers?" she barked at the floating girl.

Nonon laughed manically before responding. "If you beat me, I'll tell you. Though, really, what chance is there of that happening? You might have life-fibers inside you, but the uniform that I'm wearing is almost 100% life-fiber. Too bad your precious Kamui burned up in the atmosphere, huh?"

Ryuko flared up at Nonon's last taunting statement. "You rotten bitch! Don't you dare belittle Senketsu's sacrifice! You've done a lot of things to irritate me, but that's something I won't fucking tolerate!"

Nonon's smile widened with sadistic amusement. "Yeah, why don't you do something about it?" she egged on the already enraged Ryuko, sticking out her tongue.

"YOU'RE DEAD!" Ryuko howled in foaming rage. She jumped into the air, intent on beating the pink-haired into a bloody pulp, and probably continuing even after she had accomplished that.

There was a sudden boom, and before Ryuko knew what happened, she smashed back into the ground with tremendous force. Her hears were ringing, and she was panting for air; she felt as if she was punched in the solar plexus, hard. She struggled to look back up at Nonon, she could hardly see because of the pain. The pink-haired girl was now descending down toward her.

"Awwwww. Look at that. You're so helpless without your Kamui. To think that you're related to Satsuki, you're nothing compared to her. You don't even deserve to call her your big sister" Nonon said, a bitterness noticeably in her tone.

"That's not something for you to decide" said a commanding voice both Ryuko and Nonon recognized.

Nonon quickly moved to dodge an attack, creating distance between her and Ryuko. Still in pain, Ryuko look up to see who attacked. There, between her and Nonon, was Satsuki standing on a bigger-than-average DTR piloted by Gamagori.

Nonon pouted, "Satsuki-chan, you interrupted me. How cold of you, after all, we've known each other for so long-"

"No", Satsuki interjected. "The Nonon I know would never betray her friends, never betray me, and join forces with the enemy. I don't know what happened to you, but you are not the Nonon whom I call a friend."

Nonon mouth then slowly formed a wicked grin. "That's fine" she said menacingly, "soon enough you'll be a member in my band anyway." She snapped her fingers and dozens of students wearing band uniforms appeared, encircling the group.

"Gamagori, grab Ryuko and we'll fight our way out of here" Satsuki commanded.

Ryuko felt the metallic hand of the DTR wrap around her, and lift her off the ground. She heard the firing of a weapon, and the subsequent booms. She felt the large mass holding onto her begin to accelerate, and saw the wall of band members get knocked around and scatter as the DTR plowed through.

Once she finally got her senses back, she looked up at her older sister. "Wait, we're just running away?!" she shouted, a mixture of shock and anger in her voice.

Satsuki looked back at her. "We're going to regroup with Inumuta, Sanageyama, and the others that were able to evacuate" she said before once again fixing her gaze straight ahead. "This is a tactical retreat."


	6. Chapter 6

"So where are we going, anyway?" Ryuko inquired as she, Satsuki, and Gamagori exited the Honnouji Academy premises.

"We're regrouping with the others at the Soichiro Kiyruin/Isshin Matoi Museum" Satsuki replied.

"Ah, that ol' ship" Ryuko said. She looked back and saw that they were being pursued by multiple vehicles filled with Nonon's minions. "Shit, we're being chased, can't this thing go any faster."

"This is as fast as it goes" said Gamagori from the controls.

"Stay calm, we're almost there" Satsuki said, spotting their destination in the distance.

One of the vehicles sped up right beside them, its passengers ready to attack. Gamagori steered the DTR to the right, slamming into the vehicle's side, breaking the driver's side window in the process. Satsuki took advantage of this and kicked the driver in the face, which caused the vehicle to veer off the road and crash. The other vehicles were still a good distance behind them.

Just as one was about to catch up with them, the sound of something moving at a high velocity pieced the air, and the ground beneath the vehicle exploded. "Good, they got the weaponry working", Satsuki said, as their destination approached them. Ryuko looked up to see the S.S. Naked Sun arrive on the scene.

After Ragyo's defeat, the S.S. Naked Sun was converted into a museum in honor of Satsuki and Ryuko's late father. Even still, it ran perfectly and still functioned extremely well. After all, it wasn't actually that old of a ship. Despite it now being a museum, the ships engines were still often used, as one of the museum's most popular attractions was having it take-off for a short flight a few times every week. Of course, the museum also housed another popular attraction, one that would be vital in the upcoming battles: the Scissor Blades.

The ship hovered lower too the ground and extended a ramp, allowing the DTR that carried Ryuko, Satsuki, and Gamagori entrance. After getting off the machine, the three of them raced to the bridge, where they found everyone else already at their stations. Sanageyama ordered the weapon operators to fire at the remaining vehicles. Mikigami sat in the captain's chair, but moved once he saw Satsuki enter; he knew who the students of Honnouji Academy were most loyal to. Satsuki took her place in the seat, and looked at the crew with pride.

They didn't have much time to catch their breath, though. "Something is approaching us fast", Inumuta said from the surveillance station, "it's probably airborne."

Within a matter of seconds, that something was on top of them, accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream. "Don't you dare trespass on my domain, the sky belongs to me!" the hostility in Nonon's voice was palpable, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

There was the sound on an explosion, and a second later the alarms went off. "Part of the hull has just been damaged" Inumuta reported. "This is bad, she did a lot of damage in just an instance."

"Everyone fire at her!" commanded Sanageyama. All the ship's turrets turned towards Nonon and began blasting away. Several missiles were launched at her as well. All the projectiles veered off course before reaching her, scattering every direction. There was another explosion and the ship rumbled. "The hull has taken even more damage, and we've lost some of our turrets" came Inumuta's voice. "We have to get out of here."

"Something tells me she won't let us leave" said Ryuko. Then something caught her eye. "Hey do those jetpacks still work?

"Yes" replied Mikisugi. "Why?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Not bothering with an answer, Ryuko grabbed a jetpack, then went to the Scissor Blade exhibit and retrieved the twin weapons. "Alright, open an exit for me" she barked after getting the blades.

"Wait, you can't be serious…" said Mikisugi, his suspicions confirmed.

"Oh, I am. I'm gonna knock Little Miss Pink-head down a few notches. Besides, how else are we gonna get out of this mess?" Ryuko responded with a half-committed smile that showed she was uncertain of this idea herself. She was still going to do it, though.

"Head to the hanger, you can launch from there" Inumuta told her. She exited the bridge and headed down the hall toward the hanger. Once she reached the entrance to the hanger, she heard someone calling her name.

"Ryuko-chan?" came the voice of her hyperactive best friend. Ryuko sighed in relief, she had been separated from the girl once the action went down. "Hey, Mako" she responded.

"Ryuko-chan, I was so worried. The concert was nice at first, but then it suddenly became scary, Nonon-sempai was acting all evil, and I had no idea what was going on, and then I got separated from you, and then we evacuated but I didn't see you and I told Satsuki-chan, and she and Gamagori-sempai-"

"Came and got me, I know I was there" Ryuko interrupted, she knew there wouldn't be an end if she didn't stop Mako. "I'm glad to see you're alright, I was worried too." The hyperactive goofball immediately jumped onto her, embracing her as she did.

"Alright, you gotta let go Mako. I'm going out there to teach her a lesson" Ryuko said pushing to escape her friends embrace. "Don't worry, I'll be back after I give her a thrashing."

"Yeah, go and beat her up" Mako cheered, "…but not too bad, she is Satsuki's friend, our friend."

Ryuko chuckled. "Yeah, I'll try" she said as the hanger doors opened. She felt any anxiety about doing what she was about to do fade away. She had a whole ship of people to protect, there was no room for self-doubt. Besides, she had to pay Nonon back for earlier.

She took off and headed straight for her pink-haired adversary. "Hey band-brat, we've got a score to settle", she yelled a challenge at the music club president.

"Heh, haven't had enough, huh?" Nonon eagerly accepted her challenge. "That's okay, I'll be more than happy to smash your thick skull so you get the message this time." She fired a volley of projectiles shaped like musical notes at Ryuko.

Ryuko weaved back and forth as she dodged the volley of shots, making sure she wasn't hit by a single one. She knew she was at a disadvantage here, and that a single careless mistake would send her plummeting to the ground below. She zoomed towards Nonon, ready to strike. However, when she was almost in striking range, the air around her started vibrating violently and threw her off course.

"Ha, you're never going to touch me" Nonon spat before firing another volley.

'Damn, that's why none of the ships projectiles could get to her' Ryuko thought to herself as she dodged the volley. Nonon had essentially created an invisible shield of air around her by causing the molecules around her to vibrate furiously. Ryuko braced herself for a second attempt, if there was anything that could get through Nonon's defense, it was a life-fiber infused being wielding two ever-sharp blades.

She turned the knob on the jetpack, and blasted toward Nonon at full speed. When she was about the same distance from Nonon as before, she felt the violent vibrations yet again. The pain was excruciating. Ryuko felt like her head was about to explode; every bone in her body felt like it was going to break. Still, she pressed on in spite of the pain until she was finally close enough to hit the other girl. She struck with both blades, and sliced through one of Nonon's wings.

The vibrating stopped, and Nonon went into a freefall. Ryuko heard a beeping from her jetpack, looked at her its gauge and flew back to the ship; her jetpack was almost out of fuel. When Ryuko got back to the bridge, she saw that Nonon had somehow reached the ground unscathed. Countless band members gathered around her.

"We have to retreat for now" Satsuki said.

"What?!" Ryuko barked at her.

"Think about it. The S.S. Naked Sun has received quite a bit of damage, and we are carrying a lot of students who have no means to defend themselves. Continuing to battle under these circumstances would be negligible" Satsuki said sternly. Ryuko held her tongue, she couldn't come up with a reasonable response. She knew Satsuki was correct.

From the ground, Nonon watched as the Naked Sun flew off into the distance. "Heh, run while you can, but you'll never escape from us in the end" she said as she watched. Then she got into a vehicle and had headed back to the recently conquered Honnouji Academy. Preparations had to be made for the Life-Fibers future plans.


	7. Chapter 7

There was silence on the S.S. Naked Sun as what had occurred began to sink in. Hoonouji Academy had been overrun by life-fibers. More than half of the student body was now under the life-fibers' control. They had been betrayed by a close friend.

"Dammit! She always got on my nerves, but I never thought she'd be so two-faced!" Ryuko yelled, breaking the silence. "She's been lying to us this whole time!"

"We trusted that snake, and in return she bit us!" shouted Sanageyama in agreement.

"Enough, let's not jump to conclusions" spoke up Gamagori. "Satsuki-sama had known and trusted her longer than any of us, to say she was playing us the entire time would be question Satsuki-sama's judgment. Something must have happened-"

"Oh, don't give me that! Satsuki's made misjudgments in the past!" Ryuko barked back.

The vitriolic exchange continued until Satsuki, who had been silent for some time, finally spoke. "I've known Nonon since we were children. Perhaps she can be abrasive at times, but she is nothing if not loyal to her friends. This is something she would never do", there was a solemnness in her voice which none of the others had heard before.

"She had been acting odd for the past week" Inumuta said, breaking his silence as well. All eyes turned to him.

"What do you mean?" Saksuki asked, some force back in her voice.

"It's hard to put into words. Something about her just felt… off" said the usually over descriptive information junkie.

"Why didn't you say something?!" Ryuko and Sanageyama yelled simultaneously.

"Then, what? How was I supposed to know something like this was going to happen? Just because someone is acting strangely doesn't mean they're planning a coup d'état, and jumping to such conclusions would be idiotic" Inumuta responded coolly.

"Well, if you shared this with any of us, we might have been able to keep an eye on her and find out why she was acting strangely" Ryuko fired back, obviously growing irritated with Inumuta's front of composure.

The bridge one again broke into argument. Finally, Satsuki stood up from the captain's chair and walked over to Inumuta. She stood and stared at him for a second, then slapped him with the back of her hand so hard that he fell down. The room fell silent.

"The next time you suspect anything, you will report it to me immediately!" she demanded with utmost harshness in her voice. With that, she exited the bridge and headed toward her quarters. Inumuta got up and wordlessly returned to his post. Everyone else on the bridge was stunned and speechless.

…

Satsuki sat in her room. Physically, she was as composed as ever. Within her, a mess of emotions stirred restlessly. This was something new for her, something she had never experienced, and she did not like it.

Rebelling against her mom had taken a lot of time and devotion, years and years of planning and training, but it was not a difficult decision. She had hated her mom for what she had done to her father. She loathed the monstrosity the woman had become, and dreaded the future she had planned for the planet. Overthrowing and killing her mother was something that Satsuki had desired and strived for most of her life, and she didn't feel the least bit of remorse after her mother's defeat.

However, this current situation was completely different. Nonon had been Satsuki's friend for a long time, longer than anyone else. She had worked alongside Satsuki to achieve her ambition; planned and trained with her, grew stronger with her. The past few months of peace made Satsuki realize how important Nonon and the other members of the student council, and all the students at Honnouji Academy for that matter, were to her. This only made the current situation all the more difficult to accept.

Satsuki's composed demeanor finally snapped, as she slammed her fist against the wall of her room. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to fight her childhood friend; the possibility that she might even have to dispose of Nonon made Satsuki feel sick. Still, she couldn't let the others see her like this. It was unbecoming of a leader.

…

Hoka Inumuta quietly observed the ship's surveillance feed at his station. He could still feel the sting on his face from Satsuki's slap. He could feel all the eyes burning into him. However, what he felt most was disgust. Disgust at the current situation and at himself.

'You should stop me, Doggie' those last words before Nonon's performance rang over and over in his head. Logically speaking, there is no way that he could have known what those words meant; her behavior was peculiar, but it didn't indicate such a dastardly scheme. Still, he felt frustrated that he had not tried to find out what was behind her behavior, had not taken action. Inumuta wasn't one to let emotions cloud his judgment, but he was finding it increasingly difficult at this point.

One thing was clear, though, to him at least. Nonon wasn't doing this of her own will. Those words before her performance were proof enough of that. The Life-Fibers must be controlling her somehow. It would explain her odd behavior before the attack, as well as why she would join with the very enemies she had fought to defeat.

For the time being, there was very little he could do. Once he and Iori can get a hold of one of those marching band uniforms they could study it, find out how the life-fibers are controlling Nonon and all the other students and devise a way to destroy that control. With that information, they could probably even make Goku uniforms to fight with, without having to worry about the life-fibers taking control.

For now, all he could do was keep an eye out for any incoming trouble.

…

Nonon Jakuzure was bound and chained, a prisoner in the deepest reaches of her own mind. There she was forced to watch as the Life-Fibers plans came to flourish, as if she were watching some demented movie shot completely through first-person perspective. She watched as someone else used her body to commit atrocities and betray those close to her. She heard someone else use her voice to speak obscenities (though admittedly she did that enough on her own) and declare devilish ambitions. She felt completely powerless.

She tried to cry out to Inumuta before the hellish schemes of the Life-Fibers were set into motion, but to no avail. Her message came out a single cryptic statement that clarified nothing.

"Ah, how are you enjoying the show so far?" asked a voice that sounded like it belonged to hundreds, which echoed from all around her.

"Bastards, give me back my body!" she yelled into the darkness that surrounded her.

The collective voice only laughed in response.

"Damn you, damn you all! I'll make you pay for what you made me do! Things I'd never do!"

"Oh, you give yourself too little credit, little pink-haired child" the voice responded.

"What?!" Nonon yelled defiantly.

"We're acting on your behest as well as our own. Your body is acting on your own wickedness, we're merely bending it for our own purposes."

"T-that doesn't make any sense!" Nonon grew defensive.

"Oh, but that's exactly what is happening. We let your dark desires and selfishness rise to the surface and used them for our own ends, but we did not create them. You love being in command and at the center of everyone's attention, we simply exploited that for our own gain. You're jealous of Ryuko's blood-connection with Satsuki, it's something you will never have with your precious childhood friend. We used that as a weapon against Ryuko. You're possessive of Satsuki, and we'll use that as a reason to capture her and put her under our control. You want everyone to listen to your music, and we will use that drive to conquer this defiant planet. Rest assured, everyone in the world will hear your music, or rather our music."

"No… this is a lie, you're lying to me!" Nonon yelled at the faceless voice.

"The only one lying here is you. You're trying to fool yourself into thinking you're innocent, but you know better. We know better. After all, for all intents and purposes…" A figure emerged from the darkness surrounding Nonon and approached her. Nonon's eyes widened with shock and fright, horrified at what she saw. A pink-haired doppelganger stared right back at her; a mirror image with a sadistic grin across its face. "We are one and the same" it spoke with the Life-Fibers' voice, as it caressed Nonon's chin.

"No… this can't…" Nonon lost her words, and tilted her head down in disgrace. The doppelganger faded into the darkness, leaving Nonon to wallow in misery alone.

…

Nonon's eyes opened, as she snapped back to reality. The Life-Fibers were pleased by the outcome of the internal confrontation. They were sure that they had broken down the last of their host's resistance; now she would be completely obedient to their whims.

"Lady Nonon" said a voice from behind her. Nonon turned to face her very first subordinate (the first in her new army, anyway), Saya.

"Yes" Nonon responded.

"The first ship has been completed and is ready to fly" Saya reported. Nonon had snared most of the engineering club in her surprise attack, and now they were building her a fleet of ships for the upcoming invasion. The engineers were working much faster than humanly possible with the power the band uniforms granted them. Soon she would have a fleet which could take the world by storm.

"Perfect. Saya, take that ship and use it to hunt down the Naked Sun" Nonon ordered. "We'll have a big celebration once all the students of Honnouji Academy have been initiated into the band."


	8. Chapter 8

BOOM!

Saya's ship blew its way into a hidden Nudist Beach outpost. The small base was filled with supplies and weapons, but not a single person. Their target wasn't here. This was the third outpost they had hit so far, and still no sign of the Naked Sun. Of course, this was only one of the many, many outposts they could be hiding at. Luckily for her, Saya was not running around blind. While Nonon was part of Nudist Beach she had visited every one of the group's outposts; she had to as they were the only refuge from the COVERs at the time. She gave Saya the locations of all the outposts, it was only a matter of time before they found the Naked Sun.

Saya sat in the captain's chair, proud to be sporting an outfit unlike the ones which the rest of the crew were wearing. It was a custom outfit which Nonon commissioned Saya to make for herself, a sign of Saya's power as Nonon's second in command. It was a gothic-lolita styled dress, all black with pink frills. Her long brown hair was now in two twirling ponytails to match the outfit. She also had in her possession a few other accessories that Nonon instructed her to use when she confronted Satsuki and Ryuko. Though, admittedly they were rather odd accessories.

All the same, Saya was eager to find The S.S. Naked Sun and bring this hunt to an end. Nonon would be so pleased when she enslaves all the students that escaped.

*Somewhere, at another outpost*

Ryuko sighed and sat down for a rest. The past few days had been extremely taxing. Even after the Naked Sun found refuge in this outpost, there had been little time to decompress. The crew immediately was sent to work: searching the outpost, gathering supplies and weaponry, making repairs to the ship, and countless other tasks. Satsuki was working everyone like dogs, and she seemed very on edge, not that Ryuko could blame her given what happened. There was also a simmering tension between Inumuta and Satsuki after the slapping incident, and it made any time spent with the two together extremely uncomfortable. The tension was so high it felt like the outpost could erupt at any time. Ryuko was finding it hard to handle the situation.

She closed her eyes for a bit, then heard someone plopping down beside her. "Hiiiiiiiii, Ryuko-chan!" said Mako cheerily. Ryuko couldn't help but wondering how her friend still had such an overabundance of energy.

"Hey Mako" Ryuko responded, knowing that she wasn't going to get any quiet-time. Still, she was happy to spend time with Mako. It was certainly more enjoyable to slaving away.

"It's been so busy, it's exhausting!" Mako said, though it didn't seem she was the least bit tired.

"Yeah, tell me about it" said Ryuko, her voice sounding significantly more worn out. She decided to make her statements short and to the point. Mako usually did the most talking, anyway.

"Satsuki-chan has been really scary lately" Malo continued. "So does Inu-kun, and everyone else. Satsuki and Inu-kun seems to be angry with each other, and it makes me nervous. Also, Gamagori-sempai's been following me around a lot…"

Ryuko couldn't help but snicker a bit. She was sure the big oaf was just making sure Mako was safe.

As if on cue, Gamagori came out of nowhere. "Matoi, Mankanshoku! What are you doing!? There is no time to rest, we must be diligent!" he bellowed.

"Ugh, dammit all, so much has happened and we haven't been able to digest it all! Give us a break!" Ryuko barked back.

Gamagori glared menacingly at Ryuko. Standing her ground Ryuko didn't back down an inch. Mako jumped between them and waved her hands frantically. "No, don't fight each other, we're friends! If everyone else sees you fighting, they'll get all made and fight each other. I've had of fighting friends with Nonon-chan!" she tried to dissipate the tension between the other two.

She was successful, as Ryuko and Gamagori eased up. "Alright, we'll get back to work in a few." Ryuko said, somewhat reluctantly.

"Everyone could do with a rest, I suppose" Gamagori said before plopping down himself. The three sat there for a while and had a little conversation, though Mako was doing most of the talking. After Gamagori figured that was enough rest, they all went back to the bridge to consult Satsuki and see how everything was progressing.

They walked in on Satsuki and Inumuta. "How much longer until the repairs are complete?" Satsuki said, a biting harshness in her voice.

"It will be a little longer" Inumuta responded with evident bitterness. "Most of the engineering club was taken in the sudden assault, so we have limited man-power."

"We've got most of the supplies and weaponry packed, we're just waiting on your part of repairing the ship, and then we will move again. Go and finish the job" Satsuki commanded. Inumuta turned and left wordlessly.

Ryuko had just about enough of this. She decided on giving her sister a piece of her mind. "Can everyone leave a bridge for a second? I'd like to talk to Satsuki alone" Ryuko announced. No one heeded her words, and she repeated with more force, "Everyone leave the bridge."

People listened this time. Everyone else, including Mako and Gamagori, left the bridge. Ryuko looked back at her sister, determined to have a serious conversation. "Sis, what the hell is going on with you? You can't lead us if you're gonna act like this" Ryuko said, not mincing words.

"And how should I act? We're in a dire situation, I need to be strict on everyone. If we slacken our work ethic, we will be unprepared when we face the enemy. I'm pushing everyone hard to avoid defeat", Satsuki's voice was hard and forceful.

"You're being rash. You are usually cool and collected; always thinking ahead. But you're not acting that way right now, you're driving everyone up a wall. You're letting the fact that we're fighting Nonon get to you, big time. You need to cool off and think. If you don't then I'll just have to beat some sense into ya'!"

There was a long silence between the two. "Who we're fighting has nothing to do with this. I'm ensuring everyone's safety and victory ov-" Satsuki began.

"Goddammit, sis! Why can't you fucking be honest with me for once?!" Ryuko interrupted her. "Look, I know we haven't known that we're sisters for very long, but I thought we'd look out for each other after everything that happened with that bitch of a mother. It took a while for me to warm up to the idea, but I decided I'd be there for you. What, do you think I'm not reliable enough? Is fighting all I'm good for-"

Ryuko was interrupted by the sound of an explosion. Soon after, there was the sound of footsteps approaching rapidly, and Mako bust into the bridge. "Ryuuuuko, trouble! We're being attacked!"

"Ryuko, get the Scissor Blades. I'll go on ahead" Satsuki ordered before making a swift exit. Ryuko cursed the piss-poor timing of the attack, but went to retrieve the blades.

By the time Ryuko got outside the ship, a full blown battle had erupted. Luckily for them, the Nudist Beach outpost had a lot of weaponry for them to use, including a squadron's worth of DTRs. All the passengers of the Naked Sun were equipped and battling under Satsuki's command. While she'd never admit it aloud, Ryuko was in awe of her sister's fortitude; she took control of the situation in spite of all that happened earlier.

'The enemy seems to be a single ship' Ryuko thought to herself, 'should be easy enough to take down.' She rushed into battle, both blades at the ready. She made quick work of a group of uniform clad adversaries, shredding their clothing before they could even make a move against her. She pushed forward relentlessly towards the ship, leaving a trail of naked and defeated foes in her wake.

Satsuki took notice of her little sister's rapid advance towards the enemy ship, it was a great advantage to capitalize on. "Follow Ryuko's lead" she ordered. This wouldn't end like the last encounter, they weren't unsuspecting victim. This time they had weapons specifically made to combat life-fibers; blades to cut through the enemy's clothing, cannons which blew uniforms straight off. They would take command of this enemy ship, free its crew from the life-fibers' control, and take their first step toward reclaiming Honnouji Academy. Satsuki would make sure of it.

The advance seemed unstoppable, the enemy force was crumbling before them. Then suddenly the enemy ship's cannons and turrets opened fire. The barrage of artillery caused the advance to scatter, as students and debris was sent flying every direction. The ground became dented with countless small craters, and the air was clouded by dust and smoke by the near constant bombardment. Satsuki cursed under her breath, their advance would have to be halted until Ryuko took out the ship's artillery.

Ryuko reached the ship and used the Scissor Blades to cut through a turret, though it took no small amount of effort to accomplish this. Even though she had life-fibers within her, she couldn't commit these incredible feats with the ease that she could have if she was wearing Senketsu. She would have to finish this quickly, before fatigue kicked in.

Ryuko rushed to another turret, but just before she was about to take it out, something slammed into her with enough force to knock her off her feet. After recovering from the hit, she looked up to see a girl in gothic-lolita attire with brown hair tied into two ponytails. Ryuko had never met this girl before, but her appearance was similar to someone Ryuko never wanted to see again, ever.

"Hello, I'm Saya" the girl introduced herself. "And you must be that delinquent who is a real thorn in Lady Nonon's side. Well, you won't be a nascence for much longer. Lady Nonon will be so pleased when she's rid of you." Saya picked up the Scissor Blade Ryuko had dropped when she was hit, and slashed down with it.

Ryuko reacted quickly, lifting up the Scissor Blade she did have in her possession to block the strike. With the Scissor Blade, Saya's resemblance became even more uncanny, far too close for Ryuko's comfort. Saya tried to strike her again, this time Ryuko rolled to dodge, and then got back on her feet.

"Oh, good. For a second I thought that this was going to be too easy" Saya said, before charging at Ryuko.

"I'm gonna make you eat those words" Ryuko yelled as she ran to meet Saya.

The two then proceeded to battle each other in a dangerous dance of blades. Sparks formed every time their blades clanked together. Both combatants received light cuts from each other, neither was able to strike a decisive blow. The sights and sounds of the chaos around them seemed to melt away; the intent to destroy each other blocking everything else out. Slowly, Ryuko began to feel worn out by all the action. She had fought her way through a battle field before engaging Saya, and she was starting to feel the effects. Saya noticed this as well, and pressed her advantage, swinging her blade full force and knocking Ryuko's out of her hand.

"Now then, it's over" Saya said murderously. She moved to finish Ryuko off, but before she could administer a final strike, a DTR grabbed Ryuko and put her down near where her Scissor Blade landed. Ryuko looked back to see who was piloting the machine. It was none other than her older sister. "You were taking too long, so I decided to go and disarm the ship myself" Satsuki said, a small smirk on her face."

"Of course you did" Ryuko responded, forming a smirk of her own.

"Aww, isn't this touching, I almost hate to break it up" Saya said, turning the two other girls attention back to her, "now that you're both here…" Saya covered her left eye with a hand, and immediately started screaming.

Ryuko and Satsuki looked on in bewilderment. "Yeah… just met this girl, I have no idea what her deal is" Ryuko said to Satsuki, who gave her a bemused glance. Soon after, Saya's screaming ceaced, and was replaced with a familiar laugh that sent chills down both Ryuko and Satsuki's backs.

"No way… that couldn't be…" Ryuko struggled to find her voice.

Saya moved her hand away from her eye to reveal a black and pink eye-patch. "La vie est drôle! Life is so amusing, isn't it?" she spoke in a placid voice that wasn't her own. A voice all too familiar to Ryuko and Satsuki. "Ryuko-chan, Satsuki-chan, it's been too long. You two sure have gotten close."

"Nui Harime" Ryuko said, her voice near forceless, as if the revelation robbed her of breath. She looked at Satsuki, who was clearly also rattled, though she tried to hide it behind a front of stoicism.

"Come on" Nui said cheerily, "let's have some fun."


	9. Chapter 9

"What the hell?! Why… how are you alive!?" Ryuko yelled, still in a state of shock and disbelief.

"Aw, you're making it sound like you didn't miss me Ryuko-chan" Nui pouted.

"I didn't!" Ryuko felt her blood begin to boil at her hated enemy. The girl's condescension wasn't helping matters, either. "Now tell us why you're still around, causing trouble! You should be dead!"

"Ah, well I guess there's no harm in telling you" Nui said playfully. "If you remember, I sacrificed my body to revive the Original Life-Fiber. Well, before you were able to defeat Ragyo and destroy the Original Life-Fiber, it stored a part of itself away as a back-up plan. And in within that piece was yours truly! As for my current form… well I guess you could say I'm a Kamui, just like your dearly departed Senketsu. She used Saya's hands to point at the gothic Lolita dress. "But, I'm not sharing control of this body with its former owner, no, it's all mine now."

"Don't even put yourself in the same category as Senketsu! He'd never do something like hijack someone's body!" Ryuko roared, her hostility palpable.

Nui giggled, completely unfazed. "Just admit it Ryuko-chan, you're jealous. You want to be the one that wears me" she taunted.

Ryuko had just about had enough of this, she moved to attack the newly revived Nui, but stopped when she heard her older sister speak for the first time since Nui's shocking reappearance. "So, you're the one controlling Nonon… you're the one who is making her do all this…"

"Aw, I'm flattered you think so highly of me, Satsuki-chan" Nui chirped, "but I can't take all the credit. You see, something very special has happened to Nonon. The Original Life-Fiber has chosen her as its host; she's become the vessel of its will. Wonderful, isn't it? But don't think your friendship with her will save you or anything, the Nonon Jazukure you know is gone." Nui added another placid giggle to the last statement.

With that Satsuki began firing at Nui with the minigun on her DTR. Nui skipped around agilely to dodge Satsuki's volley of shots, laughing the entire time. "Come on, Satsuki-chan, you have to do better than that."

"Shut the hell up! I'm tired of hearing your obnoxious voice, this time I'll destroy you for good!" yelled Satsuki murderously. It was enough to make Ryuko's skin crawl, her older sister was strict, but it was rare for her to get this angry.

As she continued to jump around, Nui wound up a bunch of life-fibers into a whip. "My turn!" she announced cheerily, clearly enjoying every second of messing with the two sisters. She swung the whip at Satsuki; the latter raised one of her robotic vehicle's arms to block. The whip struck with such forced that it broke the robotic arm on impact.

"Dammit!" Ryuko yelled as she jumped back into action, it was clear that Satsuki wouldn't be able to handle Nui alone. She took a swing at Nui with her Scissor Blade, but the other girl blocked with the sibling blade, which was still in her possession. "So, tell me. Is our bitch of a mom back from the dead as well?" Ryuko snarled as their blades clashed.

Nui's grin turned into a frown of genuine distain. "No, unfortunately. You destroyed Ragyo-sama with the rest of the Original Life-Fiber. You murdered our mother! You two don't deserve to call yourselves her daughters, I was the only one who was a true daughter to her!"

"Good, I don't want to think of her as my mother, anyway. It's a relief I don't have to worry about that reunion" Ryuko shot back. The statement clearly agitated Nui beyond words, and Ryuko felt some satisfaction that she hit a nerve.

…

"Satsuki-sama still hasn't returned or contacted us. She might have run into some trouble, we should go and aid her" Gamagori said, concerned with their leader's extended absence.

"Already ahead of you" responded Sanageyama, checking if his blade was still sharp. "Gonna be a bit of a challenge with those turrets still working, but no doubt we can handle it. Nothing's gonna stand between us and Satsuki-sama."

The two student council members were about to charge out into the torn-up battlefield when Mikisugi's voice came out of their communicators. "No need for that, guys. Inumuta and the engineers just finished the last of the repairs, the Naked Sun is ready for action again. We're going to ram the enemy ship, so get everybody back in here." Gamagori and Sanageyama exchanged nods and ordered the other students to retreat back into the Naked Sun.

Once everyone was safely inside, the engines started up. "Initiate Naked Dagger mode!" ordered Mikisugi, who was currently in the captain's chair. "We're gonna tear that ship to shreds."

…

Ryuko and Satsuki were getting nowhere in their battle with Nui. They hadn't even been able to lay a scratch on the girl. Nui had not even pulled out her usual tricks; she was having too much fun playing with her prey before finishing them off.

"Hahaha! Is that all you've got? How boring-" Nui's arrogant smirk was replaced mid-statement with a wide-eyed stare at something behind Satsuki and Ryuko.

Ryuko turned to look at what caught her opponent's attention, to see the Naked Sun speeding toward them. "Crap! Satsuki, we have to get off this ship now!"

Satsuki turned to face her sister and spotted the in-coming ship. She nodded, then turned back to face her opponent, only to see Nui was already gone. The two sisters then evacuated the ship, mere moments before the Naked Sun made impact.

True to Mikisugi's words, the Naked Sun ripped right through the other ship, turning it into a burning heap of twisted metal.

"Damn! Are those guys crazy!? They could've killed us, y'know!" exclaimed Ryuko as she looked upon the crumbling mess which was formally a ship.

"They accomplished their goal, that's what is most important" Satsuki replied, having cooled down a bit from the previous battle. Ryuko rolled her eyes at the statement.

"Aw, they destroyed my ship!" said a voice from above them. Ryuko and Satsuki looked up to see Nui floating in the air, holding onto an umbrella. "Well, I guess that's enough for today. See you again soon, Ryuko-chan, Satsuki-chan. Next time I'll bring Nonon-chan to play, too." She gave one last maniacal laugh before ascending into the distance.

"Yeah, and next time will be the last time!" Ryuko yelled after her, though she doubted Nui actually heard. She then turned to her older sister, "so, what is our next move?"

Satsuki pondered for a few moments, then responded. "We can't fight this battle alone. We need to get Kaneo Takarada and the other City-School leaders to join us. Even though we're at piece with one another now, I doubt they gave up all their combative resources. They might take a little convicting, but they should know we all have a stake in this fight."

The Naked Sun touched down behind them; Iori and Inumuta immerged from the ship to meet them. "Satsuki-sama, we've been able to collect a large amount of life-fibers from this battle. Inumuta and I will begin to research them immediately. As soon as we learn more about how they are controlling students and counteract it, we'll be able to utilize the life-fibers ourselves and make new Goku uniforms."

Satsuki nodded her head approvingly. She then walked past them to head back to the ship, hardly even acknowledging Inumuta as she passed. Ryuko sighed at the fact that her sister was still sour toward the information specialist for not sharing his suspicions about Nonon.

"So, that was Nui out there, wasn't it?" Inumuta said suddenly, causing Satsuki to turn and face him. "What did she say about Nonon?"

"That she is now the Original Life-Fiber's host. The vessel of its will, as she put it" Satsuki said, clearly suppressing her emotions.

Iori was physically shaken by the news. Inumuta's reaction was far less apparent, but he was still obviously rattled. "So, what are we going to do?" he inquired in a stiff monotone.

"We will eliminate any threat, no matter whom it might be" responded Satsuki, her tone glacial.

She then headed back into the ship. The remaining three stared at her back as she entered, at a complete loss of words.

…

Nui arrived at Honnoji Academy to see Nonon already waiting for her. She landed right in front of the pink-haired girl.

"Sorry, Nonon-chan. I lost this time" she stuck her tongue out as she apologized.

"A set-back, but not an unsolvable one" Nonon brushed off the failure. "Welcome back, Grand Couturier. How are you liking the new body?"

"I love it. You even dressed it up just for me!" Nui responded. "I can't wait to take vengeance on my ungrateful sisters. This time they won't stop us."

"No they won't" Nonon concurred, fixing her gaze upon the now massive fleet of ships the Engineering Club had constructed. Music could be heard blaring from every single ship, all playing the same song in unison. "Soon, everyone will hear my music."


End file.
